Leannah Vitalis and Payton Sierra Are Going to State

 

Leannah Vitalis, Payton Sierra, Koty Janis, and Shania Janis. Photo by Tristen Long '11. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

Leannah Vitalis and Payton Sierra Are Going to State

By David LaDeaux '13

On May 9th, 2013 the Red Cloud Girls Golf team went to Belle Fourche for the Girls Regional Golf Championship to see who would qualify for the State Tournament, which will be held in Millbank, South Dakota on May 20th and 21st. Freshman Leannah Vitalis and 7th grader Payton Sierra turned in amazing performances to qualify for the state tournament.

The team's head coach is Patrick McElwee, a Social Studies teacher from Milwaukee, and the assistant coach is former golf sensation Tristen Long '11. This is only Pat's first year coaching golf but he’s done an awesome job so far with two state qualifiers. Last year Tiarra Little '12 reached the state tournament. 

Vitalis finished 19th overall with a score of 105. She had the second best performance on the team in Belle Fourche. “I thought Leannah might struggle because of the shortened, snowed out season but in the end she pulled through and is planning on making Red Cloud a horse at the state tourney. She did not seemed fazed by the shortened season,” Head Coach McElwee said.

Sierra, only a 7th grader, scored a 104 and placed 18th in Regionals. “This is the third time in two weeks that the girls played in Belle Fourche. It was clearly Red Cloud's best showing,” said McElwee. Koty Janis and Shania Janis also competed for the Crusaders.

Sierra and Vitalis will leave on the Sunday before the tournament for the long, eight hour journey to Milbank. The girls will be facing the top scoring girls golfers in the whole state.

 For more on the results, check out the Rapid City Journal.